OUR FORESTS AND JUNGLES

© Sarah Walsh / Silverback Films / Netflix

Forests and jungles touch our lives every day. They have done
for millions of years, since the world’s first peoples used them
to get shelter, food, water, and firewood.
Today, 300 million people still live in forests and over one Forests are naturally resilient, and areas cleared of tree
billion people depend on them for their livelihood. Forests cover can spring back to life if given a chance, even after
cover almost one third of our planet’s land area and well huge forest fires. In fact, natural fires started by lightning
over half of the species found on land live in forests. may seem to be a terrible thing for forests, but actually
often allows them to grow back stronger and to support a
There are many kinds of forest on our planet, but they all
bigger variety of animals and plants than if the trees just
contain a delicate balance of plants, animals, fungi and
kept growing. Some pine trees are adapted to frequent
bacteria. Forests provide us with many resources, including
fires, and have cones that only open to release seeds in
food, paper, building materials, chocolate, medicines, and
the heat of a fierce fire. The ash after a fire is filled with
even the air we breathe. Forests make rainfall and filter
nutrients and perfect for new plants and trees to grow in
freshwater. Most importantly, they are the lungs of our
the space left by the trees that have burned to the ground.
planet, and soak up carbon dioxide and other greenhouse

© Jeff Wilson / Silverback Films / Netflix

gases that cause climate change.

WHAT’S HAPPENING TO FORESTS?

Vegetation recovering in conifer forest after a
Forests are under threat. Every year 8.8 million hectares of fierce forest fire in Kings Canyon National Forest,
natural forest are cut down – that’s an area the size of a California, USA.
football field every second. Forests are being cleared for
agriculture, often to grow food for animals such as pigs
and poultry. In many parts of the world, illegal logging
is leading to damage or loss of healthy forests. Many
protected tree species are being over-harvested, and
the wood is sold to be used for buildings and furniture.
Around the world, wood is still used by more than
a quarter of the world’s people for cooking and
heating – and the world population is growing.
 FRAGMENTATION
Unfortunately, human activity can cause damage to forests
from which they are less able to recover, and which can
make life difficult for the wildlife that live there. When
forests are completely cleared to make space for farmland,
the amount of forest is decreased and what remains may
© Kieran O’Donovan / Silverback Films / Netflix

become split into smaller separate pieces. These smaller

Great Hornbills fly vast distances in search of fruit, and
deposit seeds along the way. This spreading of seeds
helps the forests of the Western Ghats in India thrive.
FORESTS FOR THE FUTURE
We should all think carefully about how we use wood
and the products made from it. It is best to use reused or
recycled materials first and then if, we buy new, to ensure
that the supply is from a responsibly managed source.
One way to verify this is to choose products with an FSC
label which shows that it comes from a well-managed
forest where removal of trees for timber is done in a way
that allows the forest and its inhabitants to continue to
thrive for the future.
We also need to help forests recover by allowing areas
that have lost tree cover to become forested again,
fragments of forest may not be able to support wildlife that a
large forest can. This splitting of forests into smaller areas is
known as ‘fragmentation’, and is one of the biggest threats to
forests globally. They are being cut into pieces by farms, but
also by roads, rail tracks, pipelines and pylons.
Less than a quarter of the world’s forests are part of large
unbroken expanses of trees where large animals such as
tigers and bears have enough space to hunt or forage for
the food they need to survive. A single grizzly bear may
need 1,000 square kilometres (385,000 square miles) to
itself. These animals also spread seeds in their droppings,
so they are an essential part of the forest ecology.
Predators like the Siberian Tiger keep deer populations
under control, which stops overgrazing from damaging the
forest ecosystem. Fragmented forest cannot support these
large animals.
Plantation forests (areas of land planted with trees
specifically to provide timber) can be carefully managed
so that less pressure is put on natural forests. Well managed
plantations close to natural forest can protect and expand
the habitat for wildlife, and brings many of the same benefits
to the environment that natural forests do.

© Silverback Films / Netflix

especially where this connects fragmented pieces of forest
into landscapes covered in trees. We know that forests
are resilient and can recover if we let them. Doing this will Boreal Forest in winter, Haines, Alaska, USA.
ensure that amazing wildlife has a home, while we still
have the benefit of wood and other forest products from
well managed forests now and in the future.

SEASONAL FORESTS
Forests located far from the equator experience extreme
changes in temperature and length of daylight hours each
year due to the tilting of the earth that takes them closer to,
or further from, the sun. This means that the species living
in these forests are used to dealing with change and
can recover from difficult conditions or damage. In
many places, including Western and Central Europe,
East Asia and the Eastern United States, many forests
are ‘deciduous’. This means that the trees shed their
leaves every year in the Autumn, so that they avoid
damage caused by cold and snow. Other seasonal
forests consist of mainly conifer trees, such as the
pine forests of Eastern Russia. Conifer trees are
evergreen trees that have scale or needle shaped
leaves with a waxy coating that helps them cope
with extremely cold or dry conditions. This allows
them to have leaves all year round, though the oily
coating to the leaves can mean that they can burn
very quickly if there is a forest fire.
 Forests absorb
carbon from our
atmosphere and
store it in their trunks,
roots and the soil,
helping slow climate
change.

Large forest
predators control
populations of plant
eating animals that can
prevent new growth,
but need big areas of
continuous forest.
Forest fires seem
destructive, but large
healthy forests are
resilient and can
recover stronger
than ever.

Existing and
newly planted forests
can be managed
sustainably so that they
provide wood without
areas needing to be
cut down.
 © Tony Rakoto / WWF
MEET THE LOCALS:
THE RING-TAILED LEMUR
The ring-tailed lemur is found only in the dry forest and bush
of southern Madagascar, which is a large island in the
Indian Ocean with a unique ecosystem resulting from being
cut off from the rest of the world for so long. The ring-tailed
lemur is a large primate with a distinctive tail with alternating
black and white rings. Ring-tailed lemurs are sociable
and live in groups of around 17 members. Although they
are very good climbers, ring-tailed lemurs spend a third
of their time on the ground foraging for food. They roam
long distances to find leaves, flowers, bark, sap, and small
invertebrates to eat. When the lemurs travel over ground,
they keep their tails in the air to ensure everyone in the
group is in sight and stays together.
Sadly people are destroying the forest in Madagascar that
is home to these lemurs and many other beautiful creatures
that cannot be found anywhere else. Trees are cut down to
be turned into charcoal and so that the land can be used
for farming by local people who have little option due to
poverty. These ring-tailed lemurs are therefore classified as
‘endangered’, and seventeen kinds of lemur have already
become extinct because of the loss of their forest habitat.
This is having another effect on the forest ecosystem.
Some of the trees have evolved to rely on large lemurs
that would eat their fruit and then spread the seeds in their
droppings. The kinds of lemur still alive in the forest are not
big enough to eat the fruit from those trees, so no more of
those kinds of trees will grow to replace the ones that are
standing now when they reach the end of their lives.
JUNGLES
The forests with the most plentiful and diverse
wildlife are the jungles near the equator
(the imaginary line around the middle of the
planet), where they do not experience the
seasonal changes that are felt in the North and
South due to the tilting of the earth on its axis. This
rich biodiversity is a result of the constant warmth
and wetness of tropical rainforests, where the trees
are leafy all year round, there are no big changes in
temperature due to seasons and nature is fully active all
year round. Jungles have different levels – each providing
habitat for different species. A small area of jungle can be

© Huw Cordey / Silverback Films / Netflix

home to a huge amount of wildlife, from the forest floor up
to the thick canopy. In the Amazon rainforest, 2.5 sq km of
jungle can be home to more than 50,000 insect species,
and some types of tree may only be found in one small
area where they have evolved.
The unchanging temperature and constant warmth of the
jungle mean that some species are only used to those
conditions, and are not able to cope if their habitat
changes. This means that when human actions have an
impact on a jungle it can cause serious problems for
the wildlife living there. Lots of species in jungles have
developed relationships that mean they depend on each
other for their survival. This means that if one species is
damaged it can also cause problems for other species in
the same part of the jungle – or even in other areas.
THE WORLD’S GREATEST RESOURCE?
All forests clean the air we breathe, breathing in carbon
dioxide and releasing oxygen. This process, called
‘photosynthesis’, happens faster in the wet heart of tropical
rainforests than anywhere else on our planet. Jungles also
regulate our climate. Like giant sponges, they soak up
water through their roots and return it to the atmosphere
through their leaves. This moisture is carried in the air to
other parts of the world and falls as rain, so the jungle
actually ensures that other parts of the planet have the
water that is needed for life to survive. Jungles give us
precious resources. Much of the food we eat – coffee,
avocados, bananas, lemons, oranges, cacao beans
to make chocolate, cashews, peanuts, pineapples and
papayas were first found in the jungle and are now
farmed for our enjoyment. Many medicines that we use
today were discovered by studying chemicals produced
by plants and trees growing in jungles. Scientists believe
there are many more discoveries to be made that could
help us stay healthy in the future.
DISAPPEARING JUNGLES
Jungles are perhaps the most endangered habitats on
earth. In the Amazon basin we are currently losing an area
of rainforest around the size of 3 football pitches every
minute because it is being destroyed by humans for timber,
Forests and jungles play an important role cleaning,
storing and distributing freshwater. Over three
quarters of the freshwater humans can access comes
from forests, and air that passes over large forest
areas produces much more rainfall than air that has
passed over little vegetation.
farmland, and to clear the way for roads. Destroying the
jungle harms us all. People lose their homes, security and
income. Animal species face extinction, and the planet
becomes more vulnerable to climate change.
SAVING THE JUNGLE
Local communities can be supported and empowered to
allow them to protect the jungle and make a living without
destroying jungle for farmland or timber. People who have
used these jungles for generations can continue to do so,
while ensuring that the amazing wildlife that shares the
jungle – and future generations of people – can do so too.
Some crops can be grown in the jungle without removing
the trees. By planting lots of different crops under the canopy
(fruit, nuts, coffee etc) an area of jungle can provide food
and income for local communities without any areas ever
being cut down completely. This creates a more natural
ecosystem than on a farm growing a single crop, so
fertilisers and pesticides are not needed. There are also
techniques that can enable some harvesting of trees for
timber and other resources from the jungle in a way that
allows it to stay healthy and recover, and all the different
crops together provide enough to support farmers. This is
called Agroforestry.
We depend on jungles but we risk losing them if we don’t
act now. We can use the jungle in a way that does not
destroy it for future generations. We can all make sure that
we live in a way that protects our precious planet. One way
is by making sure that we ensure that products we buy are
not produced at the expense of the jungle.
 Jungles release
billions of tons of water
vapour, creating clouds
that reflect sunlight and
transport water around
the planet.

Jungle is being
destroyed to clear
land to grow palm oil
and other crops, but
we could use land
that is already cleared
instead.

A jungle contains
many connected
‘micro-worlds’
filled with wildlife
that may not exist
anywhere else.
 © Huw Cordey / Silverback Films / Netflix
© Photo: Huw Cordey / Silverback Films / Netflix
ORANGUTANS
AND PALM OIL
Orangutans are the world’s heaviest tree-climbing
mammal and they live their lives almost entirely in the trees.
They move by swinging from one tree to another using
their long arms and grasping hands and feet. They mainly
feed on fruit and are known as the gardeners of the forest
because they spread seeds which helps new trees grow.
lived in jungles across Southeast Asia but today they live
Unlike other primates, orangutans do not live in large
on just two islands, Borneo and Sumatra, and are critically
groups. Adult males are usually found alone, and females
endangered. A century ago, there were probably 230,000
live with their offspring. They give birth about every five
orangutans – around four times as many as there are today.
years, usually to one baby. There is such a lot for young
orangutans to learn about survival in the forest that they To help save orangutans we can all try to make sure
usually stay with their mother until they are about 7 years that the palm oil in the products we buy has been grown
old, longer than any other animal . In the wild, orangutans responsibly in a way that has not harmed animals or the
can live up to 50 years. environment. Environmentally-friendly palm oil is certified
by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil or RSPO.
The greatest threat to the orangutan’s survival is the loss of
Look for the label when buying
their jungle habitat as trees are chopped down for timber
products containing palm oil. If
and land cleared to make way for palm oil plantations.
your favourite products contain
This vegetable oil is used in more than half the packaged
palm oil and don’t have the RSPO
products in our supermarkets, from ice cream and
accreditation you could write to
margarine to soap and lipstick.
them and explain why you want
There are two species of orangutan – the Bornean and them to ensure that they use palm
Sumatran – and they are both very similar. They once oil that is deforestation free.

Information from orangutan.org.uk

 FACILITATOR INSTRUCTIONS

KEY MESSAGES SDGs LINKS

PROBLEMS FACING FORESTS & JUNGLES Goal 15: Sustainably manage forests,
combat desertification, halt and reverse
• Deforestation due to farming and timber
land degradation, halt biodiversity loss
• Fragmentation of habitat due to roads, railways, pylons and
https://www.un.org/
pipelines
sustainabledevelopment/biodiversity/
• Loss of species specific to one area when areas of jungle are
Ensuring a healthy and productive future for our grasslands also
cleared
contributes
• Loss of large predators from forests due to fragmentation, to other SDG goals, including the following:
unbalancing the ecosystem
GOAL 2: Zero Hunger
GOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
SOLUTIONS
GOAL 13: Climate Action
• Forests can recover on their own if we give them time and
space
• Planting more forests can protect those that remain and the
animals that need them to survive
• Agroforestry and sustainable timber extraction can ensure we
benefit from forests without destroying them

GUIDED DISCUSSION PROMPTS

Use these prompts to generate a class or small group
discussion based on the Our Forests & Jungles briefing, or
videos on ourplanet.com.
Have you ever spent time in a forest or woodland?
What did you do in the woodlands? What was
special about the place? If they have not done so,
would you like to visit a forest? Why?
Allow the young people to begin by discussing their own
experiences and impressions.
Imagine you are in the jungle. What is this place like?
What are some of the sounds that you might hear
here? What might you see here? What would it feel
like? Would you like to visit the jungle? Why?
To create a relaxed group setting, give young people time
to talk together in pairs, before sharing their thoughts with
the whole group.
Why are forests important?
Encourage young people to come up with as many ideas
as they can. Many foods and medicines come from
jungles, they clean the air we breathe, they regulate the
earth’s climate, they are home to millions of plant and
animal species, as well as millions of people.
What animals, plants and insects may live in
forest or jungle?
Mammals such as lemur, bear, deer, squirrels, raccoons,
badgers etc. Minibeasts like butterflies, beetles, spiders,
flies, bees, wasps etc. Birds such as nuthatch, rooks,
eagles, great hornbill etc. Amphibians such as newts,
reptiles such as snakes etc. Plants such as ivy, wildflowers,
bracken etc. Fungi and lichens, and of course trees!
Think of all the ways that forests have touched
your life today. What have you used that comes
from a forest?
Encourage young people to come up with as many ideas
as they can, including furniture, building materials for
floors, doors and window frames, fruits, paper, tissues,
clean air, pencils, toys, musical instruments, boats,
medicines, fences, lollipop sticks, rulers – the list goes on!
What does the ice cream that you get from
the supermarket have to do with the future of
orangutans?
This question gives the opportunity to look at the impact
of deforestation. With younger young people it may help
to provide extra clues by writing the following flash cards:
palm oil, orangutan, jungle, ice cream, plantation. Ask
young people what the links between the cards are.
What threats are forests and jungles facing? Helping local communities to care for and protect the
rainforests.
Clearing for farming land and housing, fragmentation,
logging for timber, increased noise and light pollution It is important to help young people understand that they
from human settlements. can do something about the challenges that our planet
faces. Buying sustainable palm oil products and telling
What can we do to protect the jungles and forests?
parents, shopkeepers and others in their community why it
At this point it is important to give young people the is important.
chance to think about the importance of sustainability and
preserving forests for future generations. We can all think
carefully about how we use forests. Small steps, such as
saving paper, can make a big difference. Any wood or
paper bought for school or home should be FSC.

ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY IDEA SUGGESTED AGE SUBJECTS

Create a collage display from magazines and materials showing 6–8 Art
all the everyday products and benefits that we get from forests and Geography
jungles on one side, and all the wildlife that depend on forests and Science
jungles for their survival on the other.

Carry out a ‘sensory walk’ in a woodland, with young people 7 – 14 Outdoor learning
closing their eyes to experience the woodland through the other Geography
senses, guided by a partner. They should be encouraged to close Science
their eyes or put on a loose blindfold and explore the textures,
smells, sounds and feel of the environment. Discuss afterwards if they
noticed anything that they had not before.

Explore a woodland or forest with a notepad and/or camera, and 7 – 14 Science

try to identify as many different species as possible. Geography
Outdoor learning

Identify different tree species in a woodland and explore the 7 – 11 Art

differences between them. Make bark rubbings, outlines of leaf Science
shapes, seed types and field sketches to illustrate how they are
similar and different. Discuss why the trees may be so different, and
how their different characteristics may help them in different ways.

Make a diorama of a jungle habitat. 6–8 Art

Recreate the sights and sounds of a forest or jungle using dance, 6–8 Music
voice and percussion.

Write a riddle about a jungle animal. Think about where the animal 7 – 11 Literacy
lives, how it moves, what it eats and its size, colour etc. What makes Science
this animal special? Read the riddle out and see if others can guess
the animal.